Vince Carter Attributes His Affinity for Golf to Dean Smith
Chillin' with Vince Carter, the hoops legend turned golf enthusiast, at a swanky Orlando clubhouse back in the day. He was there, participating in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions alongside soccer queen Brandi Chastain and LPGA star Brooke Henderson.
After wrapping up a round on the links, Carter gushed about golf being more than just a pastime for him. It not just stimulates his competitive spirit but also brings him a dose of zen.
Carter and Henderson, Canada's leading LPGA player, have a long-standing golfing friendship. Carter shared that they've been hitting the greens together for a few years now.
"Brooke and I go way back. She's a cool cat," Carter said with a grin, following the second day of the tournament.
Carter attributed his relationship with Henderson to their shared Canadian roots. "We've grown close because of her Canadian background. I've known her and her sister (and caddy) for years now. I try my best to support her in all her professional victories."
Henderson boasts an impressive portfolio, having clinched two majors and 13 wins on the LPGA Tour. In 2023 alone, she took home top honors at the HGV Tournament of Champions and held the world No. 1 ranking for 20 weeks during her career.
Surprisingly, Carter's golfing passion started back in 1998 while he was playing for the North Carolina Tarheels. It was coach Dean Smith, head coach from 1961 to 1997 and the two-time NCAA national champions' mastermind in 1995, who initially sparked Carter's interest in golf.
"I first tried my hand at golf, thanks to coach Dean Smith. He told Antawn Jamison and I to consider it as a springboard to success."
Carter recounted how he scrounged together some budget golf clubs to practice, and he's been honing his golf game ever since.
During the 1998-1999 NBA lockout, Carter found himself in Canada with the Raptors, typically too chilly to even contemplate a round of golf.
At the end of that brief NBA debut season, Carter earned Rookie of the Year, averaging a cool 18.3 points per game. Golf, however, remained a constant companion in his competitive journey.
Carter emphasized various aspects of golf that overlap with other sports, particularly for high-caliber athletes. "It's all about learning how to remain even-keeled. In basketball, I was always focused on staying in the moment."
He added that golf was an intentional suggestion by Coach Smith, aimed at providing consistent opportunities for learning and growth.
Fast forward to today, since retiring from the NBA in 2020, golf has become a major priority for Carter. He frequently attends celebrity tournaments and even chatted about the clubs in his bag earlier this month with the PGA Tour press team.
"Golf has given me a newfound level of competition since retiring. You can never truly conquer the course."
Carter shared that golfers starting as adults typically concentrate on driving the ball far and sinking the ball in the hole. However, as they gain more experience, their focus broadens to encompass all aspects of the game, especially the short game's complexities.
Carter enjoys playing at various golf courses, with Augusta, East Lake in Atlanta, Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, New York, Isleworth Golf & Country Club (near Orlando), and Michael Jordan's ultra-private The Grove XXIII among his favorites.
In a funny twist, Carter's son has learned to play golf left-handed, emulating his right-handed father.
Last year, Carter was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and today, he's a respected TV analyst, covering games for the Nets, Raptors, and TNT.
"I'm unfortunately compelled to watch a lot more basketball than I did when I played. It's part of the job."
Despite retiring from the NBA, Carter still keeps up with the fast-paced world of basketball, sifting through statistics, social media updates, and highlights, in an attempt to stay on top of the game's latest trends and happenings.
- Vince Carter, who played for the North Carolina Tarheels under coach Dean Smith, discovered his love for golf during his college years.
- Carter and Brooke Henderson, fellow Canadians and avid golfers, share a long-standing friendship as they often play golf together.
- After retiring from the NBA in 2020, Vince Carter has been focusing on golf, attending celebrity tournaments and discussing his clubs with PGA Tour press.